


A Perfect Christmas

by sleepyhunters



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:36:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2838149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepyhunters/pseuds/sleepyhunters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean wants to make this Christmas perfect for Cas and Sam so he's making a list and checking it twice. He needs Sam and Cas' help to make it the best ever and Cas finds the perfect gift for Sam.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Perfect Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write a Christmas fic and finally got the inspiration to do it! I've been getting into the spirit this year, after I got over some anxiety ~ Christmas holds good memories and bad for me. I'm looking forward to this year, though, I know it will be good because it's Christmas and it's a time for love. Tomorrow I'm headed to the big city and my parents' for five days and it will be stressful. I'm not very close with my family and will miss my kitty a lot, but it will be good to spend time with them and the rest of my family.
> 
> Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this fic, hope you like it. (:

Dean wanted this Christmas to be perfect and he was going to make it just that. Everything had to go well for Cas’ first Christmas on this planet and their first celebration in a house. Even though him and Sammy’s hotel Christmases had a soft spot in his heart and always will, this year he had the time and resources to do it right. They were going to have a tree, make cookies, listen to Christmas tunes and watch Christmas movies, they were going to exchange gifts and hang lights and it was going to be fucking awesome.  
The weekend before Christmas Dean has a list. He shows it to Sammy and Cas at breakfast and outlines their time frames to get everything done.  
“Sammy, today we’re going to the store to get lights, and we can put them up tonight. Cas, I want you to print out recipes for cookies, and this afternoon we will go to the grocery store. Tomorrow, we will go to the mall and get everything else we need.”  
“Dean, is this necessary, I mean, it’s still going to be Christmas whether or not we have plastic bulbs coming out of our ears. Don’t you think we should just relax and enjoy the time off?”  
“Sammy, this is important. We need to do it right this year, now finish your orange juice and let’s go, I want to get the biggest, fluffiest tree they have.”  
Sam sighed and finished his breakfast. He exchanged a fretful look with Cas, who returned the feeling with an equally sad brow. If only Dean hadn’t been too busy checking his list twice to see that his two best friends in the world wanted anything else than to run around in the snow and slush and fight the holiday crowds for materialistic items.  
On the way to the parking lot full of pine trees, Dean hummed along to Christmas songs and drummed on his steering wheel. Sam didn’t even know he knew all the words to “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Winter Wonderland”. Dean never listened to Christmas movie in the Impala before and would complain when they would have to hear it in every place they went after Thanksgiving.  
It didn’t take long for Dean to pick a tree, a freshly cut and flush douglas fir and tip the seller for delivery, “I’m not letting Christmas drip sap in my baby.” Sam agreed to be there for the delivery in the afternoon. “Ok, Sammy! Let’s get lit!”  
The next errand took a bit longer. The store they stopped at was filled with busy shopper with long lists and the Christmas area was especially buzzing. Dean stocked up on multi-colored outdoor lights, extension cords, and a bunch of small white ones for their tree. The line at the counter was long and made even longer with price checks and check writers. Sam was getting antsy, this was why he didn’t like Christmas and would have rather been at home, reading, quiet, maybe with a cup of hot cocoa, it was Christmas, after all.  
“Man, this is taking forever. And I still have to get cookie dough and cookie cutters.”  
“You’re not making them from scratch, Martha?” Sam teased.  
“I could, jerk, I choose not to. With everything else I have to do before Wednesday, I won’t have time.”  
“What else do you need to do? We’re going to hang lights, we have the tree, and I’m sure Cas will fill every container we have with sugar santas and gingerbread trees.”  
“Yeah, but, I still have no idea what to get Cas.”  
“What do you mean? He’ll like anything you get him. He was so thankful for that t-shirt you gave him he bear hugged you for five minutes,”  
“That was different,” Dean trailed off. Giving Cas one of his old shirts was different than a Christmas present. This had to be new, and meaningful, and useful, and possibly there would be more than one.  
“I know what I’m getting you,” Dean said.  
“What?”  
“A pet rock, you big nerd.”  
“Shut up,” Sam rolled his eyes.  
Dean grinned, he wanted to get Sam a new girlfriend, and a big fucking bag of pistachios, and new slippers and an extra large stainless steel thermos, and a dog, and a kindle, and a hair cut, but only a few of them would fit into the budget. It was going to be tight, but Dean would make it work.  
On their way home Sam offered to help Dean pick out a present for Cas. Dean thought about it, he felt it was something he should do by himself...but Sam did know Cas well, too, and then he wouldn’t have to brave the mall alone. So, they agreed to all go together.  
Cas had about ten recipes in hand when they got back. Dean vetoed half of them, arguing they needed to stick to the basics if they were going to get everything done. So, Dean and Cas rewrote the list to molasses for gingerbread cookies, brown sugar, sprinkles for Christmas cookies, sugar and cinnamon for snicker doodles, and sour cream for german sour cream twists, a favorite of Cas’, apparently. Whenever small, human, things like that came out of Cas’ mouth, Dean was always surprised. When did Cas have a german sour cream twist, and what is it?  
The grocery store was busy but with Cas’ help they managed to get everything on the list quickly. On the way home, Dean discussed the next day’s plans. He explained the mall would have pretty much anything you could want to get as a present, and he could help Cas pick something out for Sam, and vice versa.  
“It’s ok if you don’t want to go, too, you don’t have to get us anything.”  
“I want to get you something.”  
“Yeah? Well, the mall can be really crazy this time of year, so if you’re nervous, we can just leave and maybe shop at a smaller store.”  
“I’d like to see what the mall has to offer.”  
“Ok, that settles it.”  
“Any idea what you want to get Sam?”  
“Yes.”  
“And?”  
“You’ll find out on Christmas.”  
Dean laughed.

That night the kitchen was filled with warmth and laughter. Flour and sugar littered the floor and cookies sat everywhere, cooling on racks, plates, and cutting boards. There were brown gingerbread men and women, sugar coated trees and reindeer, and little knots of german sour cream twists. Dean found out the native Finnish cookies were rolled out in flat stretches of dough and tied in a knot before baked. They were sweet and soft and a little sour and soon were Dean and Sam’s favorite. They begged Cas to make more before Christmas was over. The kitchen smelled amazing and it spread throughout the whole house.  
Dean helped Sam put up the lights on the front porch and in the front windows while Cas supervised. Sam already had the tree up, and by the time Dean was pulling out the white strings he was fast asleep and snoring softly in a plush arm chair in the living room. Dean and Cas let him sleep and quietly tucked the lights into the branches, round and round until it twinkled as bright as the stars. It was getting late, and they had an early morning with a busy day ahead, but Dean didn’t want to go to bed, yet. Cas stood admiring the tree, his face serene and happy, obviously not plagued with running thoughts of plans and lists.  
“Hey,” Dean broke Cas out of his reverie, “We still need to put the angel on the tree.”  
“You can’t mean me,” Cas asked, a confused look on his face. He squinted at Dean, trying to read the true meaning of Dean’s words.  
“No,” Dean moved closer, “this angel,” Dean handed Cas a blonde lady in a wide white skirt, she had white wings and a gold halo. Cas took it and admired the pretty face and glitter, “She’s beautiful.”  
“I picked her out today, she reminds me of my mother. Come on, I’ll find a chair,” Dean set a flat wood chair near the tree. He held it steady and Cas stood up on it, he carefully placed the angel on the top branches. “There, she’ll be looking over us, and Christmas,” Cas said. He stepped down and Dean held him steady when he tripped over his too-long pj bottoms, “Thanks, Cas,” Dean kissed him, soft and warm, long and sweet. Cas held Deans hips close to his, Dean wrapped his arms tighter around Cas’ waist.  
After a nippy and flirty and heated make out on the couch they fell asleep under a blanket and curled around each other in the light of their Christmas tree.

The next morning, Dean made them all cheesy hashbrowns, fluffy scrambled eggs, buttered toast, crispy bacon, and coffee. He claimed he had to feed his Christmas elves, and winked at Cas. They ate their fill and didn’t complain about their growing to-do lists. Then they all dressed, cleaned up a bit, and piled into the Impala. They arrived at the the mall a little after ten. Maybe not as early as they should have been, but the crowds shouldn’t be too bad, yet. They agreed to meet at the hamburger place where they had the spicy cajun fries and free drink refills for lunch.  
Sam and Cas took off first, into the middle of the mall. Dean decided to hang around his corner first and head up to the second floor. He still had no idea what he was looking for, but he figured he would know it when he saw it. He hoped it would be a good present.  
He decided to get the easy stuff first. Sam had been complaining his thermos was cracked, so a new one was first on the list. Then he picked him out a new book, a thick one, about ships and bravery and history. Sam was a pretty serious reader and liked when the stories of adventure were true to life or about the strength of men against nature disasters. Dean figured it must have been because it reminded Sam of his own battles against nature, the ones that he won.  
Dean picked up a santa hat (for himself), an elf hat (to make Sam wear), and a pair of reindeer antlers that he thought would look cute on Cas. The kiosk seller was so merry that Dean bought some mistletoe and a Christmas CD.  
He still hadn’t found anything for Cas yet and it was almost time for lunch. His belly rumbled and his mouth was dry. Every store he passed just didn’t seem right. He decided to get an Orange Julius, obviously he wouldn’t be able to make the right decision dehydrated.  
After a few cool slurps and a loud “Ah,” to the annoyance of an older lady shopper with a young toddler in tow who gave him a dirty look. Dean smiled at her and the drooling babe and cheerfully wished them a Merry Christmas. He saw Sam and Cas come into the food court laden with large plastic and paper bags.  
“Holy crap have you two been busy,” Dean exclaimed while he slurped.  
“Yeah, we’re almost done. How’d you do?” Sam asked as he led the way towards bacon burgers and a cold coke.”  
“Oh, you know, got most of it done, still looking for one thing though…” he trailed off and tried not to look at Cas. Cas knew right away of course he meant him.  
“Well, we can eat and shop for a bit after. It’s still early, yet.” Dean agreed and they got a round of cokes, large spicy fries, and double bacon patties with cheese. Lunch was delicious, filling, and greasy, the mood was light and jolly. Sam told Dean about how much of a math whiz Cas was and corrected a sales lady about the price of an item with the sale price. He also amazed some older ladies with some uncommonly known history of Christmas, when John the Baptist was beheaded for celebrating the birth of a God, and in the middle ages Christmas was a drunken carnival. The ladies were stunned, politely wished him a merry Christmas and hurried away.  
Cas and Dean teamed up after lunch and Sam rushed off. He had a lot to get for Dean. Cas said he wasn’t quite sure what Sam would like, since a lot of the things Cas knew he liked he already had a lot of, like toiletries and flannel shirts. Dean suggested he think of something he’d like to get and maybe that would get him thinking outside the box. Cas sat down next to an indoor fountain full of coins and mom’s relaxing with their babes in strollers, older couples having a cup of tea from the small hot beverage kiosk, and busy shoppers rustling around with their coats and bags. He thought, for a long time actually, Dean finally sat down after he realized this could take a while. It would give him a chance to digest the huge amount of food he consumed and think about what Cas would like, too.  
Maybe he would like a memory foam pillow. He was always falling asleep on Dean’s bed, sometimes in the middle of a thought. It concerned Dean at first, so much so he starting tracking the former angel’s sleep schedule, but found it to be normal, light, but normal. It must be the memory foam. It forms to you. But, that was a lame present to open on Christmas morning. He had to keep thinking.  
His mind started to wander onto the people around him. What were they buying for the people they loved? A mom rocked her baby in it’s seat on the edge of the fountain. She had three or four large bags, Dean could see bright colors pressed against the thin plastic. The older couple sat at an angle to each other, eyes out ahead, sipping their tea at the same time. They only had a small paper bag each. Possibly they bought each other treats or a book. Cas had all the books he could devour from the library online ordering system. The local branch would get anything for Cas, all he had to do was show up with his ruffled hair and magnetic blue eyes. But maybe he’d like a book of his very own…  
“I’ve thought of a present for Sam.” Cas finally spoke.  
“What is it?”  
“I’m not sure if you’re going to like it.”  
“Let’s hear it.”  
“It’s a big present. Small, at first, but in the end, a very big present.”  
“Cas, what are you thinking of?”  
“We adopt a puppy.”

At first, Dean said no, and then second he said, “Hell no!” and then more quietly after the mom glared at him and started on her way again with all her precious bundles, “What the hell, Cas! We can’t afford a dog!”  
“They’re having a sale.”  
“A what?”  
“They’re having a sale at the pet store. I saw it in the window.” Cas got up and asked Dean to follow him. Cas showed him, in large neon painted letters in the large glass window, “Puppies 50% off Happy Howlidays” above a large cage filled with tiny pink tongues, wet black noses, and soft floppy ears. There were three smaller brown terriers barking and scratching at their cage. The four fluffy golden retrievers slept soundly in the middle of the window, cuter than mini pumpkin pies. On the far left there were two sleek black labs that bounced on each other with their mouths open and tongues wagging.  
“Did you have any ideas on which one?” Dean asked.  
“They are all worthy. But there’s more, come.” Cas led Dean to the back of the store. The cages were a little smaller and less well lit but looked clean, and were a little roomy at least. They were well padded and had large bowls of water and kibbles filled to the brim. Each cage had a tag with their name and information.  
“These are from the humane society. They are here to try to get adopted during the holidays, so people don’t have to make an extra trip.”  
“Well,” Dean rubbed his face. There were three dogs sitting and looking at them. They were a bit older than ones in front and had sadder eyes.  
“This one,” Cas pointed to the one on the left, “was left on their step. They think it’s a german shepard mix, six months old.” Dean noticed it’s large paws and intelligent eyes. It barked, sharp and short.  
Cas moved on the one on the right side, “She’s an older dog, a yellow lab mix, she’s a sweet heart, aren’t you?” The dog came close to Cas’ voice and wagged her tail slowly. She seemed a little tired, but lovable and in need of lots of treats.  
Dean said, “What about this one?” He pointed to the one in the middle, sitting front and center, waiting to be approached.  
“He is only four months,” Cas crouched near the cage and the puppy wagged his tail and stood up, he tried to lick Cas’ fingers through the bars, “He’s just a mutt, but I think he’s the one.”  
“Me too,” Dean said. Cas looked up at him in surprise. His eyes watered and he grabbed Dean for a hug. Dean hugged him back and nestled his smile into Cas’ shoulder. Sam wasn’t going to forget this Christmas.  
Cas made the arrangements with the store owner to pick up the puppy the next day, Christmas Eve. They picked out everything they’d need to bring their new family member home. First they picked out a simple green food and water bowl, they chose ceramic over stainless steel. They picked out kibbles, a green leash and collar, milkbones, and bee shaped chew toy. They left it all at the store to be picked up later.  
Cas was elated and his enthusiasm caught Dean’s heart, this was going to be a very merry Christmas.

It was Christmas Eve and Dean still didn’t have a present for Cas. They had to go to the mall to get Sam’s gift anyway, and refused to give any hints at why they had to make another, special trip for Sam, though his curiosity was peaked and fierce. When they were leaving though he told them to take their time because he had a lot of present to wrap. Dean saluted him and they headed for the mall.  
Dean popped in the Christmas CD he bought on the way and it wasn’t half bad, cheesy, but that was the point of Christmas, right? They sang along and talked about how awesome this Christmas was going to be. They figure out the mostly white pup was probably a husky and that would be perfect for Sam to run with.  
Everything went smoothly at the mall and the puppy was cuter than ever. He was so joyful to be out in the world he pranced along side his new family all the way through the mall. His fluffy tail wagged proudly and his soft ears flopped with every bounce. His pink tongue hung out and his bright brown eyes and wet nose said “Hi!” to every passer by.  
On the way home Cas predicted the dog would need to use the bathroom. Dean pulled over right away and they stopped in front of an old store. Cas let the dog out of the car and said he was going to take it around the block, just to make sure. Dean nodded. The things he does for his brother. He noticed they stopped in front of an used book store. He went in. The place smelled like paper and cinnamon. The older gent behind the counter nodded and went back to his book. A fluffy gray cat came out of nowhere and meowed near his leg. It rubbed his ankle and purred. Dean leaned down to give it a quick stroke and it’s back arched into his touch. The cat gave him a “anymore?” look and Dean put his attention to the merchandise. Cats, so entitled.  
Dean noticed near the window a shelf of leather journals. They were large, but not too large they wouldn’t fit in one hand. The leather was soft and well worked, punched around the edge was a simple design of boughs and leaves. Inside the paper was of high quality and creamy white. It closed with a simple tie. He purchased it along with a nice black pen. When he came out of the store Cas was just getting to the car. He looked at the bag in Dean’s hand and asked what was inside. Dean told him to mind his own beeswax, and grinned happily. They all piled in and the dog lied down in the back seat and promptly fell asleep on his giant paws.

Sam was putting his gifts under the tree when they arrived. He looked alarmed when he saw the bouncy husky and looked between Dean and Cas, “What’s going on?”  
Cas chimed up, “Merry Christmas, Sam!” Cas unhooked the dog’s collar and it bounded over to Sam and sniffed his shoes.  
“Hope you like him, Sam, because I don’t think we can return him.”  
“He’s mine?” Sam said. He knelt down and the puppy licked his face and bounced off to sniff the presents and everything else.  
“Gosh, thanks, guys, this is awesome!”

After a dinner of frozen pizza (they were all too tired to cook) Dean cracked open a beer and settled into the corner of the couch. “I almost forgot!” He leapt up and dug through a bag stashed in the corner. He pulled out a green and red elf hat and stuck it on Sam’s head. “Here ya go, Christmas Elf.”  
“I’m not the Christmas elf,” Sam protested and Dean pretended not to hear him. Dean stuck the antlers on Cas’ head and the Santa hat on himself. “Let’s open presents!”  
Cas got to go first. Sam gave him some super soft fleece pajama bottoms, a glass tea pot and Cas’ favorite black tea, and a hammock. Cas thanked Sam for each one, Sam beamed.  
Dean was next and Cas insisted he open his first. It was wrapped in plain brown paper and white string. Dean carefully untied the string and unfolded the thick paper. Inside was a shiny, wire bound pie cookbook. Inside, Cas had penned, Merry Christmas, Dean.  
“Thanks, Cas, I love it.” He stood up to give Cas a hug. The new puppy, unnamed as of yet, wriggled in want of attention in Sam’s lap.  
“Here,” Dean handed Cas his present, “I want you to open this.”  
Cas ripped off the festive paper and admired the soft leather, the thick paper, and the one thing Cas didn’t even know he wanted. Maybe Dean had noticed how he scribbled his thoughts into the margins of books and on napkins and receipts.  
“Thank you,” Cas said softly. Dean’s eyes shined brighter than the Christmas tree.  
Sam and Dean both got each other a ton of presents, thermals, pajamas, socks, movies, candy, and a brand new version of the book The Hobbit, which Dean secretly loved and had read five times. Sam liked his thermos and was excited to start his new book, after he took his dog for a long walk. Cas crawled next to Dean on the couch, surrounded by loose paper, ribbons, and their gifts. Cas stroked Dean’s hair and showed him just how happy he was it was Christmas.


End file.
